The Diary of a Hobbyist

SCORE: 89/100 An instantaneously enjoyable and delightful return to form for the band, MOTFD's second full-length LP is one you simply can't miss. It's a shame how music like this often remains undetected from wider audiences due to it being in Japanese rather than English, but the Japanese rock scene can almost be better than Western rock a lot of the time - with MOTFD being a prime example of the sheer ambition and wonder of J-Rock when it is done right. T he instrumentals and vocal performances mix and come together to create a project that is both unique and exciting - with each element coming together into one explosive album full of colour and artistic prowess. MOTFD manage to be a perfect encapsulation of what J-Rock should sound like at its core, mixing different elements and soundscapes to produce lively and noisy rock songs that come together into incredibly powerful and fun albums. The short runtimes of their albums make their discography incredibly palatable and...

SCORE: 89/100 A darkly lit and grim project that sounds more gut-wrenching than the cover would lead you to believe, 'Vicodin Hydrocodone' is an ambient piano LP that mixes elements of experimental field recordings to make a gloomy and upsetting project that sounds like tragedy within the walls of a hospital building - with surrounding chatter around the soothing, yet sad piano, the melodies take on something more and drive the project through with raw emotion alone. There are sounds of hospital machinery beeping as the piano melody keeps going, a bleak scenario with peace being found through the piano harmonies alone - it's a jarring picture, but it comes together as something unexpected and something that I found more out of than I ever could have expected. 'Vicodin Hydrocodone' is a project that is much more than you may expect it to be - it's a deeply emotional and touching project that shows a darker side of the genre of field recordings while making someth...

SCORE: 98/100 'Phobia' might just be one of the most underrated and underappreciated gems of all time. With songs that will instantly stick to you without letting go, Breaking Benjamin created songs that are both heavy and dark while mixing in catchy and memorable lyrics alongside sensual atmospheres in songs like 'Topless'. Each song takes something new to add and give to the album while keeping a deeply concordant and harmonic soundscape to the album as a whole entity rather than just a song-by-song basis. It keeps the ball rolling and manages to do multiple different things all at once - introducing new sounds that keep the album afloat and interesting to listen to at every turn. Burnley's vocal performances are deeply pleasant on each of the tracks, and songs like 'You' and 'Topless' dive into melodic territory similar to the sonic elements and deep dives into melody and harmony found on albums by Deftones in particular. The songs can go from dar...

SCORE: 98/100  "I think that fire is something that's really representative of the record. It's really, really peaceful and you're drawn to it. But if you get too close, it can torch you and kill you. But if you just get close enough, it's warm and it's soothing, it's mesmerising and it's peaceful. It can give you everything or destroy you, depending on how smart you are." It's an unexpectedly bright underground techno essential - with the production being more up to par than some projects by the biggest names in electronic music, Lords' debut (and only) studio album is a triumph for the entirety of the techno genre. With trippy soundscapes and production that will make your head spin in circles, '1,000 Fires' is an absolute must for any techno fans looking for something that really stands out. The album mixes and matches with more sounds than just techno, with elements of ambient and trance coming through on 'Fallen Angel' ...

SCORE: 70/100  It's a step in the wrong direction for the group, with the sound of this EP being a lot less charming than what was presented on their previous two EP's.  'KILL THIS LOVE' is a significantly weaker effort from the group - but it isn't entirely bad. It's not a bad project by almost any means, but it strays further into just being "okay" rather than being really good or even great. It's a huge disappointment that goes by somewhat slowly and manages to pale drastically compared to their previous two EP's. It delves too far into trap stereotypes instead of feeling as fresh and fierce as their previous two EP's, and it isn't nearly as worthwhile when compared to their previous works - but it's still worth the 16 minutes it takes to listen to it if you are a fan of the group and are looking for more content. The songs feel more like guilty pleasures than prideful sing-a-long songs, and the style here feels more washed down ...

SCORE: 97/100 In the K-Pop industry, it's BLACKPINK's world - and we're all just living in it. For me, this is one of the best K-Pop EP's to ever be released, and it's a huge personal favorite of mine (as is BLACKPINK as a whole). I still remember when this was a "newer" release, and I was absolutely hooked on BLACKPINK after discovering them years ago. This still hits just as hard as it did years ago - it's an EP that showcases all of the different sides of the group from the sassy to the sultry, making excellent usage of different production styles to give each track a fresh and lively sound that still sounds fresh to this day. It isn't a super old release by any means, but this is a project that gives me huge feelings of nostalgia. I still remember the times I listened to BLACKPINK almost constantly, and I look back on those times every time I listen to them.

BLACKPINK: SELF-TITLED JAPANESE EP SCORE: 95 A stunning collection of previous singles (this time in Japanese rather than the original Korean, BLACKPINK is a multilingual collective), BLACKPINK, marked as BLACKPINK (Japanese Version) on streaming, serves as the debut mini-album by the girl group.  The members have more charisma than anyone could ever anticipate they would, with the roles being clear from the start and both the sung and rapped parts of the EP coming together stunningly, BLACKPINK is one of the greatest showcases of pure style & talent that the K-Pop industry will ever see. Each track is different from the last - with every style you can further expect from the group coming together into one stunning EP. Their style is entirely off the charts, with tracks like BOOMBAYAH  and PLAYING WITH FIRE being immediate highlights for their entire discography. This is a debut done right; it perfectly introduces all of the members of the group along with their individ...

SCORE: 92/100 fromis_9's latest EP carries on the sound used on their previous two EP's in a newly packed way; giving the EP a fresh feel while giving the fans what they want out of the group as a whole. The performances are stellar as they are on their other mini-albums, and the overall sound of this EP has a similar style to their other work with a modern dance-pop-radio-esque sound being utilized in a way that is fresh and fun. It's a summery and almost citrusy EP, with the project being sweet at its core and having a general sense of brightness and glitz - it's a snappy and almost sassy sound, with each of the girls giving their all when they are called upon and each performance standing out from the last. It's deeply consistent and full of fun - and it's another entirely worthwhile project from the group; they have their sound entirely worked on and locked down at this point in their career, and they seem near unstoppable consistency-wise. from our Memento ...

SCORE: 89/100 Midnight Guest carries on the consistency and somewhat new style of the group into new horizons - with more electronic influences in Escape Room setting the tone of the project and setting it apart from the rest of their EP's. The disco-esque sound continues on DM , showing new horizons for the group as a whole and showing their movement into a new, more mature direction as their career went on. It feels a bit inconsistent with Love is Around being one of their most underwhelming tracks so far, but it's an incredibly solid EP overall that is only slightly less enjoyable than their previous effort. It makes for another great addition to their discography and it further cements them as one of the best K-Pop girl groups that we have had in more recent times. Their shift from the 2010s to 2020s was done with absolute masterclass, with the group adapting to new sounds and song trends while keeping their style in tact through growing maturity incredibly well.

SCORE: 90/100 A more dance-pop-esque project with their most refined and mature production, My Little Society is an incredible change of style - keeping the sweetness of the group and morphing with the sounds of nu-disco to make an instantly captivating and delightfully fun EP. It's a wonderful change of pace for the group, the sound here is better than ever - with a clear and steady path of improvement being followed to make their most polished and immersive project at this particular point within their short but sweet discography. This EP is easily their brightest, with it having the best production quality and overall sound of anything in their discography thus far. The group shimmers even brighter than they did on their previous two EP's on My Little Society , with the songs being instantly striking and full of variety, it's a project that won't let you down - and it's one that feels like a great way to introduce someone to the group. It shows off both the soft...

SCORE: 85/100 More of fromis' signature fluffy sound, To. Day is a striking continuation of the sounds that elevated their debut. It is an even more engaging and entertaining project that shows growth and strength from the group. The cute/sweet aesthetic works in favor of their overall sound very well, and the performances here are immediately strong. The songs are catchy and snappy - with an undeniable charm and a clear chemistry between the eight members, fromis_9 clearly knew what they were doing moving forward from their delightfully strong debut mini-album, carrying on the torch and making another soon after that surpassed their debut and built up their sound even more. It's a wonderfully polished project that beams genuine light and passion - with the girls sounding entirely full of energy and life on every track and sounding like they are giving their all at every turn, To. Day is an EP you simply cannot miss if you are a fan of K-Pop or just looking to get into the ge...

SCORE: 78/100 An EP that starts off slow before exploding into delightfully fun & sweet K-Pop splendor, fromis_9 show incredible quality, chemistry, and a huge amount of promise with their debut mini-album. Vocally, the EP is very strong - and it carries on with great production and gorgeous audio effects that make the project feel dreamy and splendidly charming. It's a delightful, almost cloudlike K-Pop EP that shows some steadiness from the group in their earliest moments, showcasing the 2010s sound of K-Pop wonderfully well and mixing many different sounds while finding footing in an original and entertaining style for the group.

The Help and the Real World: How the real world presents itself within the novel. The central theme of The Help  is racism and how it affected black people and their families in the 1960s. It is a unique outlook focusing on the issue, shifting the focus onto how black women were hired to work as maids and how it was the only life they knew. There are various mentions of civil rights and the movements that the issues brought into America, and these moments are deeply important to the plot of the book. The book takes place at a time where the civil rights movements were becoming prominent within America. These movements and protesting were dangerous things decades ago, with people being killed trying to protect themselves and for speaking for what is right. The book takes place in the small town of Jackson in the United States, a town where racism was seen as "normal" and where you were punished for speaking your mind, something that was strikingly common in the times written ...

The Help  Compared to Life: A study of connections and similarities in plot. The 1999 comedy film Life shares a similar setting to the novel The Help , with both stories being set decades in the past where racism, segregation, and slavery were all considered to be facts of life; with people of colour not knowing lives without the mistreatment. Life details the story of two black men that are sent away to prison on false murder convictions; both of them being framed for involvement in the case for a crime they did not commit.  The Help is a story detailing racism and the mistreatment of black people, with segregation and slavery being core focuses of the novel and the story also bringing up the issue of wrongfully jailed black individuals.  A scene that I connected to the setting of  The Help that takes place in  Life is where the two main characters walk into a restaurant while they are on their journey prior to becoming inmates. They are shunned and attention ...

The Help and How I Saw Myself In the Novel: Me and Skeeter Phelan. I was surprised being able to see myself in a book primarily about black people and their struggles; but Skeeter Phelan was a character I deeply resonated with throughout her development as a primary character within the pages of  The Help . Skeeter is one of the three main narrators used throughout the chapters of the book, with much of the story being told through her perspective. She is the reason for change in the town of Jackson, making the bold and dangerous decision to write a book detailing the lives and experiences of the maids working in the town. Her upbringing consisted heavily of memories of her maid Constantine - who had left suddenly without a word, leaving Skeeter deeply determined to find out what happened to her dear old maid who helped her to make it through her youth when no one else would. The ambition and passion for writing Skeeter shows throughout the novel were the traits that I saw my...

DEFTONES: GORE SCORE: 89/100 A shorter and less favored album for many, Deftones' 2016 albums hits the right spots and returns to the form found throughout their 2006 opus 'Saturday Night Wrist'.  For many, 'Gore' manages to be the weakest effort in the deeply complex and delightful discography of the band. It is a less praised album overall - which I was immediately confused by upon playing the first track. The album has the same complexity as their other projects - having a more modern sound and using different soundscapes to make the album unique from their other projects while still keeping the cohesion of their albums up to par.  It's a striking comeback that engulfs their discography with more heavy & scenic tracks, with each song having a different sound than the last and the album coming together quite well. There are some weaker moments on this album and it feels less polished than their previous works, but it is an incredibly solid and great projec...

DEFTONES: KOI NO YOKAN SCORE: 100/100 (January 8, 2025) 'Koi No Yokan' is yet another triumphant return to form for Deftones - leaning more into the shoegaze sounds of 'Saturday Night Wrist' to make another immediately captivating and mesmerizing project. It's another deeply melodic and textural record - with deep soundscapes and instrumental depth being present throughout the hard & soft tracks. It's a strong metal album with heavy elements being brought alongside gorgeous melodies and layered instruments, and it's a mix of the experimentation present on both 'White Pony' and 'Saturday Night Wrist' while changing their sound and diving deeper into the blissful metal soundscapes explored on their previous projects. The heavier songs of this album are done in a way that has never been done before, and this is an incredibly impressive step up in a direction that didn't seem possible. The heaviest of songs blend deeply rooted guitars wit...

This is an older review of mine that isn't very well formatted - and it was my second Deftones album that I had listened to. My first was their debut project Adrenaline .  DEFTONES: DIAMOND EYES SCORE: 98/100 (July 4, 2023) Deftones went for a more positive album with less complaining about life and more loving it. They used a sound that almost sounds like a fantasy, like a trip straight through a fantasy movie. Chino sung less about himself and problems and took the approach of detaching himself from the lyrics. This album is one of those albums that just makes me feel like I'm in the album, it makes me think, it makes me feel the music effortlessly. It has such a strong atmosphere to it. It's such an interesting style and is considerably a lot different than their earliest work. This has a less heavy style, focusing less on screams and more on softer vocals a lot of the time. An album born from a tragedy, art made from grief. Something that makes the album even more touch...

DEFTONES: SATURDAY NIGHT WRIST SCORE: 100/100 (January 7, 2025) A thematically dark and instrumentally blissful record, 'Saturday Night Wrist' is an even more triumphant return to consistency than their previous, self-titled effort. The album is instantly captivating - hooking a listener in and shaking them before letting loose into blissful and lush melodies, the album is everything that makes all of the the soft, light, dark, and heavy stylistic elements of the bands' albums come together as one gorgeous record. Soft & serene one moment and dark and anguishing the next, 'Saturday Night Wrist' is a stunning portrait of the band as a whole while being deeply rooted into Chino's ongoing struggles with drugs & marriage. His personality and feelings spill out into every song, with the album feeling like a dark and gloomy glimpse into the mind and the darkest corners of the soul, the album manages to be sultry & sexy while being dark and sorrowful at the...

  DEFTONES: DEFTONES SCORE: 96/100 (January 6, 2025) One of their heaviest and most experimental albums, Deftones' self-titled album stays true to its title. It feels like a combination of every aspect and style present within their previous three projects while still experimenting and going in new directions, and it's a much heavier and intense project when compared to the soft edginess of 'White Pony'. It has the vocal prowess of 'White Pony', with more melodic vocals mixed in with the raspy, heavy screams, while the album has the instrumental edge of 'Around the Fur' and a more polished 'Adrenaline'. It's a deeply layered album full of texture and various elements stacked together - and it doesn't let up. It's incredibly impressive that 'White Pony' was followed up with an album as good as this one, and it seems like the band was on a never-ending streak starting with the iconic 'Around the Fur'. 'Deftones' ...

My very own "brown cookies" were a product of experimentation done for a foods course that I am currently enrolled in. Using brown sugar (no granulated) and brown butter together rather than the traditional creamed butter and brown/granulated combo, the result is a more flavorful and rich cookie.  Baking temperature : 350 ° Fahrenheit (180 °  Celsius)  Bake time : 13-15 minutes depending on the size of the cookies Ingredients: 2 cups (one large stick) unsalted butter 3 3/4 cups brown sugar 4 eggs 6 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoons salt 3 tablespoons baking powder 1 tablespoon vanilla extract (measurements don't matter for this one) Chocolate chips (as much or as little you want) Instructions: Melt the stick(s) of butter in a saucepan (lightly colored if possible) on medium heat on the stovetop. Mix continuously until the butter has a nutty and strong aroma and is foamy. The foam will subside, leaving you with a golden-brown butter. There will be brown flecks in the bu...

SCORE: 100/100 There's both songs that will make you want to cry and songs that will make you want to mosh - and it's more than just an album. White Pony  isn't just another rock album; it's an experience. It's a project that somehow glistens even brighter than Around the Fur , and it uses more of the melodic sounds found on Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)  found on their previous album. This helps to reinvent the sound & style of the band while keeping the structural integrity of their sound very much alive - and it feels like an even more matured and refined project. White Pony is a deeply serene and atmospheric album with so many feelings within it at once - it's smooth, sexy, dark, and gloomy all at once. It's a heavily moody album; but not in the teenage angst way of many rock albums of the 2000s. It's a smoothly refined and impressively polished album that shines with each note, and every song tells you something different from the last. Soft on...

On January 21, 2023 I listened to and reviewed Deftones' debut album Adrenaline, which was an album I had heard songs from but not given a front-to-back listen to beforehand until that date. I later updated this same review on May 14, 2024 (unsure of what I changed). I wanted to upload my Deftones reviews here since they have been the band I have been diving deeper into lately, and I have been a fan of them for years now. I have listened to a large amount of their discography in the month of January 2025, but my Adrenaline review is part of what will be a double review for this blog specifically since it is a short one. It was published before I had the writing skills I do today, but I wanted to include it here to have the complete set of album reviews when I finish their studio album collection. DEFTONES: ADRENALINE SCORE: 90/100 The only real issue here is the mixing, the instrumentals are so overpowering compared to the vocals. But ignoring the mixing, the vocals, lyrics, and in...

You may know me by my common internet handles of @vivi and @vixxverlice. I can be found on platforms such as Letterboxd , Last.FM , and AOTY (Album of the Year). I have been passionate about writing for years now and have been pursuing blogging in various forms for a considerable amount of time now.  My main topic is music - specifically music reviews. I try to keep consistency with my reviews and pinpoint both spectrums of an album; no matter good or bad. I vary my taste profile and my personal listening habits on a regular which can be reflected upon within my various reviews. I keep a schedule and take breaks in between from time to time, but reviewing is my main pursuit. I dream of being published for my work and making a name/living for myself through my writing, and I am working every day towards becoming an even stronger author. I specialize in reviews, but I like to write about my personal life to people when I am chatting with them (depending on the person); this multimed...